Jackson Jr. could face new troubles over financial disclosure

Former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. could face new trouble his campaign has been warned by the Federal Election Commission about missing recent deadlines for public reports. (WGN-TV)

Former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. could face new trouble his campaign has been warned by the Federal Election Commission about missing recent deadlines for public reports. (WGN-TV)

Katherine SkibaTribune reporter

WASHINGTON — Already looking at a possible prison term, former Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. could face new trouble over his apparent failure to file a financial disclosure report that is required when lawmakers leave the House.

Jackson will be sentenced July 1 for misusing more than $750,000 in campaign cash to buy luxury goods and other items. He resigned Nov. 21 and later pleaded guilty to a felony.

Under the federal Ethics in Government Act, representatives who leave office — on their own or because voters sent them packing — must file a disclosure within 30 days. Before the report is due, a lawmaker may ask for an extension of up to 90 days to file the report.

Disclosure reports and extension requests appear on the House clerk's website, but none have shown up for Jackson. House officials declined this week to say whether they're aware of anything in the pipeline.

A disclosure report is supposed to list outside income, investments, major liabilities, gifts and travel paid for by outside groups. Failure to file is punishable by a fine of up to $50,000, according to a manual from the House Ethics Committee, where an official declined Tuesday to comment on Jackson.

Jackson's attorneys did not return Tribune requests for comment.

Robert Walker, formerly the top lawyer for the Ethics Committee and now with the Wiley Rein law firm, was asked about Jackson's apparent failure to file, and said: "It's certainly not a housekeeping matter and it is taken seriously."

The FEC is also seeking information from Jackson's campaign. Last week an FEC official wrote to Chicago attorney Vickie Pasley, the campaign's treasurer, saying that Jackson's political organization may have failed to file a report for the first quarter of this year. The official warned that not filing could result in a civil financial penalty, an audit or other action. Pasley did not respond to Tribune requests for comment.

The FEC letter was the second it has sent to Jackson's campaign this year: The agency warned in February that the campaign may not have submitted its year-end 2012 report.

Jackson's war chest contained more than $105,000 on Nov. 26, according to an earlier report to the FEC.